00:04China has seen significant monthly growth in the sale of new electric vehicles.
00:09More than three quarters of a million units were sold in March,
00:13according to preliminary data from the China Passenger Car Association.
00:17That is almost 70% higher than February,
00:21but it is down more than a fifth compared to sales a year ago.
00:24The NEV sector faces serious challenges such as high production costs
00:30and drivers are still worried about battery range and charging facilities.
00:35Chinese carmaker Geely has achieved a milestone in its transition to electric vehicles.
00:40Earlier this year, NEV sales accounted for more than half of total sales.
00:46CGTN's Robin Dwyer has been speaking to the CEO of Geely Technology Europe
00:51about the company's major shift in global development.
00:54Geely Technology Europe, it's an important signal and element in the overall Geely strategy
01:03to really become a global, completely global company.
01:07And I'm very pleased that we just announced Geely Technology Europe
01:12with the focus on European and overseas market.
01:16So where do you see Europe sitting in terms of developing new technology?
01:20So basically we are focusing on three major missions.
01:23Number one, clearly architecture, to really co-develop, co-create with our China colleague
01:30the future architecture for the mechanical and electronic architecture.
01:38We have a lot of talent.
01:40We have really a great DNA, automotive DNA here in Europe.
01:45And this is clearly in mission number one.
01:48Mission number two is really to co-create along the entire product life cycle.
01:56So we don't want just to design and produce cars in China and then send overseas and maybe just tune
02:06or homologate.
02:07We really, we are really part of the overall product life cycle.
02:12And mission number three is clearly that, well, in general, but especially for the Western market,
02:18digital, digital experience, the overall digital ecosystem with AI as the fundamental driving force is so important.
02:28So this is really the third major mission.
02:31Well, one challenge that both you and your competitors are facing at the war in Iran,
02:36causing a huge shock in energy prices.
02:39I wonder how that's affecting your business and also the EV industry more broadly.
02:44The fact that my team is back to the architecture for mechanical and electric, electronic,
02:55for example, hybrid, it's a very, very important element.
02:59And this is also where we can really also, in some sense,
03:03help customers to really face the challenges in terms of prices and so on for the fuel and so on,
03:11that are very important.
03:13And just for example, we just released the ZCAR 9X that really with this super hybrid
03:20is able to accommodate very long cycle range and with a very low set of, I would say, consumption.
03:31So clearly there are challenges.
03:34We are facing these challenges as the rest of the world.
03:36But I really think that the innovation in the architecture is probably one of the good news that we have
03:43to offer here.
03:44So you mentioned AI.
03:47I wonder what's next for Gili.
03:48Is AI one area where you see growth of the company?
03:51AI is relevant, for example, in the way we design the new infrastructure.
03:59For example, we have AI, clearly we have chassis that is really controlled by AI.
04:07You have an AI brain that is really able to anticipate what would be the driving condition
04:13and to really adapt to the best driving condition.
04:17AI is, of course, very, very important when it's a matter of customer experience.
04:22And I'm referring to intelligent driving, ADAS, as well as smart cockpit.
04:29For example, in Europe, we have just released, end of last year, an entire intelligent cockpit solution
04:38that is really driven by AI that allows the highest level of customization and personalization.
04:46So the car starts learning about who you are, about your habits, about your preference.
04:54And, of course, he is capable to react accordingly.
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